Strip-folding apparatus



Jan. 21, 1 5 A. scHwARTz ElAL STRIP-FOLDING APPARATUS 4 Shets-Sheet 2Filed Jan. 12, 1954 wwww mw Jan. 21, 1958 A. SCHWARTZ ETAL 2,820,630

7 STRIP-FOLDING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 12, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ii I 1/:'52 llgl INVENTORJ Elli/LE Raw/r ilQixa/ pfiafiywikrz.

United States Patent S-FOLDING APPARATUS Alexander Schwartz and EmileFogelson, New York, N. Y., assignors to Leobarb Corporation, New York,N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 12, 1954, SerialNo. 403,495

2 Claims. (Cl. 270-79) This invention relates to packaging machines, andhas for its object the provision of an improved apparatus for foldingelongated flexible material in the form of strips, ribbons, webs and thelike in various shapes and sizes incident to packaging. Moreparticularly, the invention provides an apparatus for feeding strips ofmaterial in a series of folds or close bends, in a sinuousconfiguration, into a receptacle or package.

The invention comprises means for supplying the strip material at auniformly controlled rate to a fold-forming member which moves back andforth at a rate synchronized with the rate of feed to bend the striprepeatedly first in one direction and then in the opposite direction inclosely spaced serpentine-like folds. The folded material may bedeposited into any suitable receptacle such as a receiving form ordirectly into a package. The fold-forming member of the inventioncomprises a feedhead through which the strip is drawn and means formoving the feed-head back and forth as the strip of material is fedtherethrough, thereby folding the material and depositing it in thereceptacle or package.

In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus of the invention comprisesmeans which reciprocates on a framestructure carrying with it afeed-head including two driven rollers which engage the strip and feedit out at a controlled rate while folding it. The apparatus comprisesmeans for varying the tension which the rollers exert on the strip, andthe distance of the reciprocable movement to vary the length of thefolds. The strip-folding apparatus of the invention may advantageouslyinclude means for integrating the folding rate with the supply of stripmaterial to the end that the material may be packaged continuously atthe rate it is produced. A further important feature of the invention isthe provision of means to regulate automatically the tension exerted onthe strip as it is fed from the supply.

These and other objects of the invention will be better understood afterconsidering the following discussion taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a packaging machine comprising astrip-supply means and a strip-folding apparatus of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front View of the apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken at 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5, 6, 8 and 9 are sectional views at 5--5, 66, 8-8 and of Fig. 3,respectively;

Fig. 7 is an end view of Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view at 10-10 of the carriage portionshown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional view at 11-11 of the carriage portionshown in Fig. 5, and

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of a modification of feedhead roller.

The apparatus illustrated in the drawings may be used to fold variouskinds of flat strip material but will be 2 described by way of examplewith reference to the packaging of strip insulation formed of overlyingsheets of folded material which are tightly pressed together into astrip or ribbon.

The strip material may be supplied from a folding machine of the typeused to effect the accordion pleating of multiple sheets of insulatingmaterial. Fig. l illustrates somewhat diagrammatically a packagingmachine comprising feed rollers 1 and 2 through which the strip materialfrom any suitable source is fed to the stripfolding apparatus 3 of thisinvention.

The strip-folding apparatus of the invention comprises a stationarymetal frame 4 which is more or less rectangular in cross section andwhich is mounted in a fixed position with respect to the feed rollers 1and 2. The carriage 5 has two pairs of upper rollers 6 and 7 whichtravel in the longitudinal tracks or races 8 and 9, respectively, and apair of lower rollers 10 which travel in the lower track or race 11. Thecarriage has a crank 15 pivotally mounted by the pin 16 to one side. Theother end of the crank has a bearing 17 in which is mounted a pin 18which serves as a standard coupling pin connection for the sprocketchain 19. By means of this pin, the crank is operatively connected tothe chain which is mounted on the chain sprockets 22 and 23. Sprocket 23rotates freely on the adjustable shaft 24, while sprocket 22 is keyed tothe shaft 25 to which the chain sprocket 26 is also keyed.

The main drive shaft 3i) is mounted at one end in the bearing 31 and theopposite end in the bearing 32. and extends beyond the carriage frameand carries on its extended end the drive pulley 33 which is driven bythe belt 34. The beveled gear 35 drives the beveled gear 36 which iskeyed to the shaft 37 on which is mounted the chain sprocket 3d. Thesprocket chain 39 mounted on sprockets 26 and 33 drives the sprocket 22which drives the chain 1%. Since chain 19 is connected by the link pin13 to crank 15, the carriage is reciprocated back and forth in thelengthwise direction of the frame, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4, therollers 6, 7 and 1h guiding the carn'age in its reciprocal motion in theraces 8, 9 and 11, respectively.

The distance the carriage travels may be varied by changing the numberof links in the sprocket chain 19. The shaft 24 on which the sprocket 23is mounted is attached to an adjusting plate 40 slidable in brackets 41and 41. The plate :0 has a threaded projecting lug 42 into which theadjusting screw 43 is in threaded engagement. The screw 43 is providedwith a knurled knob 44 on the outside of the frame to facilitateadjustment of the location of the sprocket 23 in moving the plate andthe attached sprocket 23 backward and forward in the lengthwisedirection of the frame incident to changing the length of the chain. Theplate 40 is preferably provided with set screws, not shown, by means ofwhich it can be clamped in a secured position after the adjustment hasbeen made.

The drive shaft 30 has helical gears 45 and 46 slidably butnon-rotatably mounted thereon which engage gears 47 and 48 which aremounted on the drive shafts 49 and 50, respectively. Shaft 49 is mountedin a bronze bushing 51 in the upper part of the carriage 5 and in abronze bushing 52 in the lower part of the carriage which is held inplace by the collar 52'. Shaft 50 is mounted in the adjustable bearingframe 53 which, as best shown in Figs. 5, 6, 1t) and 11, is pivotallymounted in the carriage 5 on the pin 54. As shown in Figs. 5 and 11, thecoil spring 55 is attached to a projection 56 of the frame 53 at one endand to the carriage at the opposite end by the screw 57. By means ofthis spring, the shaft 50 can be moved a short distance in the clearanceopening 58 .in the frame in .a direction transverse to .its verticalaxis and is normally pulled in the direction of the shaft 49.

The shafts 49 and 50 extend above the frame 4 and have roller-s fittan'd6:1, respectively, keyed thereto. These rollers :are :rotated inopposite directions :at the samespeed and the strip of ffiexiblematerial vS from the feed :rollers 1 and 2 is continuously pulledbetween these rollers. Rollers 6t and I61 comprise a feed-head which, byreason :of its mounting on the carriage :5, travels back and forth adistance determined by the length of the chain 19.

It will be noted with reference 'to Figs. 3 and 6 that anelongated slot63 is formed in the top of the frame a -to provide for the travel oftheshafts 49 and Stl during travel of the carriage. lnorderto preventforeign matter from entering the mechanism inside the frame, and dangerof someones having a hand caught in this slot, a flexible .belt 64, such:as one formed of rubber, canvas or metal,

having its ends attached @by means of the clamps 65 and 66 to thecarriage .is mounted around the frame on the rollers R. As the carriage'reciprocatcs hack and forth with the shafts 49 and 50 traveling in theslot 63, the belt travels with the carriage and covers the slot at alltimes.

:Fig. 12 illustrates 'a modified form of roller for the feed-head. Oneor both of the drive shafts for the feed rollers, for example '50, .hasa clutch plate 70 fixed to the shaft by means of a set screw 71. Theclutch plate has a friction brake lining 72 which frictionally engagesthe friction brake lining 72' on the flat end face of the flange 73which is attached to the roller 74. A bearing bushing 75 :is also keyedto the shaft 50. The flange 73 is rotatably mounted on a bearing bushing.76 mounted on the shaft 59. The flange bearing 77 attached to theroller 74 is rotatably mounted on the bushing '75. A coil spring 73 .ismounted over the shaft 59, one end of which bears against the bushing 75and the other against the bearing 76. By means of this spring, thefriction lining 72 of the roller 74 is pressed into frictionalengagement with the brake lining 72 on the clutch plate and the rollerhas slip motion with respect to the clutch plate 7t). By appropriatelyselecting the spring 78, it is possible to provide rollers for thefeed-head which can exert a controlled tension on the strip of materialS fed therethrough. This adjustability makes it possible to maintainuniform tension on the strip even though variations may occur in therate of feed from the rollers l and 2.

In operating the strip-folding apparatus of the invention, a strip offlat material S is supplied continuously by rollers 1 and '2 to therollers '61] and 61 of the feedhead. The material is frictionallyengaged between the rollers by reason of the pressure which roller 61exerts thereon, and since these rollers are power driven at the sameperipheral speed as the rollers 1 and 2, the strip of material is fedcontinuously through the feed-head. As the reciprocable motion of thefeed-head continues, the strip of material S fed between the rollers 60and 61 is given a serpentine-like series of folds, as best shown inFigs. 1 and 2. In order that the material which has been folded may be'efiectively accumulated, an inclined 4 receiving receptacle is attachedto the front end ,of the frame and as the sinuously folded strip ispushed out from between the rollers 64 and 61, it slides down theincline, as shown in Fig. 1.

As a convenient means to package the strip material, we may place anysuitable form of package, such as one having an open end 62 on theincline, and the folded material accumulates in the package. An operatormay be stationed at this place to supervise the packaging and inspection0f the material. When a suitable quantity of folded material has beenplaced in the package, the "strip is cut off and another package isplaced on the incline for a repetition of theope'ration.

We claim:

1. Strip-folding apparatus comprising a casing, a carriage within saidcasing, parallel trackways within said casing and extendinglongitudinally thereof, means supporting said carriage for rectilinearreciprocating move- I tnent along said trackways, said casing having aslotbn one side thereof extending substantially parallel to saidtrackways, a pair of substantially parallel shafts mounted on saidcarriage and extending through said slot, rollers mounted on theportions of said shafts which extend beyond the casing and extendingperpendicular to the direction of travel of said carriage and to thedirection of folding of the material, said rollers having theiradvjacent surfaces lying close to one another, said rollers constitutinga feeding head to receive between them a strip of material to be folded,means rotatably mounting at least one of said shafts on said carriage,means for rotating at least said rotatably-mounted shaft and the rollercarried thereby, means for imparting relative movement to said. rollersin a -direction' to apply a yielding pressure onstrip material betweensaid rollers, and means for moving said carriage rectilinearly alongsaid trackways including a pair of sprocket wheels, anendlesschainpassing around said sprocket wheels and a link connected at one end tothe chain and at its other end to the "carriage, means to permitadjustment of the chain drive to vary the distance traveled by thecarriage in its rectilinear movement, whereby said feeding head may becaused to move back and forth in a rectilinear path to apply to a stripof material fed between said rollers a folded serpentine-like form.

2. Strip-folding apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the rolleron the driven shaft is connected thereto by means of an adjustablefriction clutch which enables the roller to apply a uniform tension onstrip material fed between the rollers.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS966,760 vMutsch'ler Aug. 9, 1910 1,263,885 Guttridge .Apr. 23, 19181,843,964 Wolff Feb. 9, 1932 2,009,665 Kaufmann July 30, 1935 2,265,458Stafford et a1 Dec. 8, 1941 2,291,627 Huck Aug. 4, .1942

